Background Vincent Bennett trained at Plymouth School of Art in the 1920s, alongside Cecil Collins and moved to London in 1930 where he worked as a scenery painter for a Kensington Studio, supplementing his income with drawings published in magazines and occasional boxing matches. In 1932 he returned to Plymouth and gained local notoriety as a jazz drummer, appearing regularly at local venues in various ensembles. In 1945 he married Mary Hemingway who actively encouraged and facilitated his artistic career. Their only child Jonathan was born five years later, by which time Bennett settled to a more conventional career as an art teacher. He maintained he learnt more from the children than they did from him. He retired in 1975, happy to devote himself to painting full time until ill health prevented him. Style When Bennett returned to Plymouth from London, he renewed his academic studies at the local art school and experimented with large- scale work, painting murals in various locations around the city. Eventually the techniques he used in London as a scenery painter encroached upon the academic concerns of his formal training and the distinctive Bennett style emerged. A muted palette and naturalistic forms dominate his early easel painting. In later work, the flat planes of colour and geometric shapes evolve into a highly textured surface rendered in Mediterranean hues. Bennett drew upon an eclectic mix of influences, from Byzantine art to silent cinema, and whether he tackled grand narratives or studies of the locals in a nearby pub, his work is heavily impasted with the dry Bennett wit. Written Work • Vincent's only illustrated short story has been recently found. Written around the 1950's, "The Enchanted Cat" has been produced as an eBook. Please click here for further details. • “The Great English Novel” the beginnings of his autobiography (unfinished)- available for download - click here for details